George Tsunis takes reins temporarily at NUMC

George Tsunis, head of the public benefit corporation that runs Nassau University Medical Center, temporarily has taken the reins as president and chief executive of the public hospital in East Meadow.

Winnie Mack, a former senior vice president of operations for Manhasset-based Northwell, left the NUMC position Oct. 14 after six months on the job.

Northwell and NUMC last year announced a joint partnership. Northwell under the arrangement was to have its staff work or consult at NUMC to help the struggling public hospital devise a five-year plan for improvement.

Tsunis, chairman of the public benefit corporation NuHealth, said under hospital bylaws he automatically becomes interim chief executive and president at NUMC in the event of a vacancy in the hospital president and chief executive's job.

Tsunis ran NUMC for five months after acting CEO and president Paul Pipia vacated the top job late last year.

Tsunis said a search committee was reviewing possible successors to Mack. The panel includes NUMC chief medical officer Anthony Boutin, NuHealth trustee Bobby Kumar Kalotee along with other officials, but no one from Northwell.

“We do consult with Northwell on many things, but I appointed a search committee and we have advertised, and we have a ton of great resumes that have come in,” Tsunis said in an interview.

Tsunis said he did not know when a new president and chief executive would be selected.

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler covers Nassau County government and politics for Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.